


A Good Different

by penguinpatrolerarmy, SunniApplePie



Series: Christopher's Self-Insert Stuff [1]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst, Asperger Syndrome, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Intern Thing i guess, Mild Language, Misgendering, Nyctophobia, POV Alternating, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Panic Attacks, Paranoia, References to Illness, Selective Muteness, Slice of Life, Trans Male Character, shameless self-insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 19:45:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6297676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinpatrolerarmy/pseuds/penguinpatrolerarmy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunniApplePie/pseuds/SunniApplePie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christopher's life starts to take a turn for the better when he gets hired as the Game Grumps' new intern. Though, nothing could have prepared him to find what he did. (Self-Insert, Slice of Life, Progressing Plot)</p><p>[Please leave comments I appreciate imput and advice]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Grump Space

Arin groaned as he looked over an avalanche of applications. This was always something he disliked about his job. It wasn't that he hated reading over them, infact some of these people actually sounded like pretty interesting individuals. He just hated that there were so many of them to go over.  
  
"How's the intern-searching going?" Dan questioned, watching from behind the couch.  
  
"Not as well as I had hoped," Arin explained as he read over more papers,"... Some of these people are hardly qualified for this job, some of them are qualified but seem boring, and at least three of them were sent in as a prank." Dan sat next to the younger man and began looking over a random pile of fliers.  
  
"Be careful with those," Arin warned, "They're the decent ones." Dan nodded, continuing to scan the applications.

"These do seem like interesting people... Why not just interview all of them?" Dan suggested. Arin gave the older man a look.

"There's **sixty-five** of them, Dan." He deadpanned.

"Sixty-five?!? Are you really considering that many people for this job?" Dan questioned.

"I just want to find someone who will fit the position well... Like... Jack did." Arin mumbled. The Grump's previous Intern, Jack, Had received a job offer at a high-end facility a few states over. At first the Irish man was somewhat reluctant to accept it, but the others were encouraging of him...

Unfortunately, finding a replacement was taking longer then they had hoped.  
"You know it's going to be impossible to find someone who fits the position exactly how he did, right?" Dan sighed.

"Of course I know that... I just wanna be sure everyone will be okay with this new person... That's all." Arin stated.

"Well, How about this: We can look over the applications together as a group this monday... That way everyone has a say in who gets selected for interviews." Dan offered. Arin paused for a moment.

"Why didn't I think of that?" The younger murmured.

"Because you've been working hard all week and can't think straight." Dan answered, giving him a playful nudge. The two men shared a few chuckles, before starting to gather the papers again. Once they had finished, Arin placed the documents safely into his file-cabinet.

* * *

"Sixty-five possible interns?" Barry questioned.

"... And counting, if you guys wanna look at Arin's unsure pile" Dan corrected.

"You've got to be shitting me." Ross grumbled.

"Look guys, Arin has been doing almost all of the work that Jack usually did on top of his usual schedule... And it's really stressing him out" Suzy stated. Her husband wasn't present in the office at this moment as he had gotten sick over the weekend and still wasn't feeling good.

"Suzy's right guys," Brian began, "Arin is really pushing his limits. Last friday I saw him try to pour coffee into a bowl of cereal... And I don't think it was intentional."

"Exactly... So what i was thinking was we could go through these applications together and then schedule interviews for the ones we like most?" Dan suggested.

"Yeah... That seems like a reasonable plan." Barry noted

"Well, whatever this plan is, you can count me out of it," Kevin groaned, "I don't mean to be rude but I got a shit ton of episodes to edit." The editor then proceeded to walk towards the computers, the other grumps watching as he left.

"Should one of us check on him?" Barry asked.

"I dunno... What's eating him?" Dan questioned.

"Dude, He's had a stick up his ass ever since 'You-Know-Who' left." Brian informed.

"Still, He doesn't have to be so dick-ish about it." Ross commented.

"Guys... Just, give him his space right now." Suzy interjected, "If Kevin doesn't want to be included in this then he doesn't have to be." The group then began to look over the various applications that had been sent to them, multiple arguments and discussions erupted among them. Though, somehow, They eventually managed to make a list of 37 considerations for the job before the day had finished out. After looking over the list himself, Arin began scheduling interviews for each of the choices.

The next morning, Arin hung the list up in the office and gave everyone a highlighter to mark names with. After everyone had picked a series of people to interview, the real work began. It was difficult juggling the interviews, grumping, and regular work; but somehow the group managed. That being said, actually picking a person for the job was easier said than done.

"Well, I mean, they're nice but they don't seem right for the job."

"They have a lot of skills but they seem unqualified."

"No... Just, no." The further down the list they traveled, the more difficult it was to find anyone appealing.

"This is hopeless..." Ross groaned, slouching into the couch.

"Okay, so not everyone on the list was as good as we thought they would be," Arin stated, "How many people are left on the list?"

"I think we got all of them." Dan replied.

"Alright! And how many are in as final considerations?" Arin asked.

"Like... 5." Suzy replied.

"...So... Who are our lucky 5?"

Kevin watched the group converse from the comfort of his computer desk. He had finished his work for the day but still figured it was too early to leave. Though, at the moment he had no episodes to edit (As much of a surprise as that was); so Kevin found himself indulge in boredom as each second passed.

Kevin groaned, shifting his position so he faced his computer. Admittedly, He wasn't too ecstatic about hiring a new intern. He was fully aware that they needed one, but it was hard to accept that a new person would be filling Jacks' shoes in a short while.

The sound of falling papers diverted Kevin's attention away from his thoughts. He glanced over to the wall, noticing the intern list had fallen from it's position. For a moment, he did nothing; as he assumed one of the other would have gotten it. But after realizing he was the only one who had noticed the list, Kevin stood up and grabbed it off of the floor. He skimmed over the list, he wasn't entirely sure why but assumed because it was less boring than just doing nothing.

Then he saw something on the very last page of the document. For a second he was confused as to why Arin had stapled a _blank_ page onto the list. However, he quickly noticed a single un highlighted name on the top of the paper. They're interview was slated for ten minutes from the current time.

"Uh, Guys?" Kevin called out, "Not that it's any of my business, but there is an unmarked name on this list slated for ten minutes from now." There was a scuffle of footsteps and in less than three seconds Arin had appeared from behind him and grabbed the papers. His eyes widened when he saw the name.

" _ **Mother fucking Microsoft Word**_!" The older man exclaimed. He quickly ran to get his jacket and car keys.

"Arin, where are you going?" Ross questioned.

"This guy's computer is in the shop, he requested we meet at this cafe downtown and I am about to be late." Arin quickly explained.

"Well, I mean... We already have five considerations... Maybe you should just cancel?" Ross told him.

"I would but I told everyone they'd have a fair chance and I'm committed to that statement!" Arin shouted back as he ran out of the door. The Grumps watched as he had left, and continued staring after he had gone.

"Yup... That's some commitment right there." Kevin commented.


	2. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I actually include myself in the chapter of this fic.

I slouched against the wall of a cafe, my eyes were locked on my gameboy screen... Well, okay, not exactly locked. I was keeping my eye out for people walking by, But I was very focused on my game of Tetris. Especially considering I was only a few points away from beating my old high score...

Or at least I was before my screen turned off. I guess I was so immersed in my game that I forgot to check the battery life. I let out a groan of annoyance, before shoving my gameboy into my pocket. I looked down at the tea I had ordered some time ago when the cafe was still opened, noticing it had cooled down significantly since then... I apologize for all the boring details, but the truth is I'm rather bored to.

I was supposed to meet someone here for a job interview, some sort of intern position or something for this Youtube channel. I wasn't too incredibly sure about major details, the advertisements they had placed out were a bit vague. But, they mentioned that it would pay pretty well so... That's good I guess.

However by this time the cafe was long closed, and the guy was 30 or so minutes late. I hadn't received any contact from this person, either; which would have been helpful, at least then I'd know that he was going to be late. But, hey, no one is perfect.

After another few moments, a man came running up to the cafe door. He was rather tall, had brunett hair with a streak of blond that ran through it, and had some sort of Anime shirt on. This man looked frustrated, and murmured something about being too late. He seemed to have noticed I was there, as he asked me a question.

"Hey, how long has this place been closed?"

"About twenty minutes, give or take." I reply.

"Shit... I better call him and try to reschedule..." He mumbles. The man then calls a number on his phone, and almost immediately my own phone goes off.  
So this is the guy, huh?

"...Well, um... This is awkward," He mumbles, "Um... I'm really sorry about making you wait here, There was a bunch of stuff me and the others had to take care of..."

"It's fine," I assure, "We're all just humans... mistakes happen." 

"Right, So my name is Arin." He introduced, sticking his hand out in a friendly way. 

"You can call me Chris." I said, taking his hand and shaking it, "So... about that job interview..."

"Er, right... So um, there is a diner around the corner that is open late... You wanna just go there?" He offered.

"Sure, no problem!" The two of us made our way to the diner. Once we were inside we seated ourselves at a random booth and ordered some food.

For the most part Arin asked me pretty generic questions; How old I was, What interests me, Where do I see myself in 5 years; stuff like that. Occasionally he'd make some joke or witty remark, most of which I laughed at

"So, I have to ask... Have you ever been in contact with Updog?" Arin questioned at one point... Why was he doing this, I have no idea... But I did have to answer it.

"Can't say I have... Is that anything like 'dickfor'?" I replied

"Wait... What's dick fo-" He stopped, before letting out a large amount of laughter.

"Okay... That was pretty fucking clever..." He said in between breaths. He looked down at his watch.

"Oh, um I gotta get going," He stammered, "But it was nice meeting up with you Chris." 

"Yeah, I should probably get going too." I replied.

"Sorry again about being late."

"No worries, Arin." The two of us then went our separate ways, disappearing into the night.

* * *

I somehow found myself back at the same diner the next morning. I'm not really sure why I went back, But the food is cheap and they had free WiFi so I didn't care. I was mostly just scrolling through my tumblr dashboard, trying to get used to this new shitty update that just took place. What's next, Lower video capacity? Or maybe they'll do something useful and fix the replies bullshit.

I changed my thoughts back to last nights interview. Arin was a pretty interesting person... Okay, I'm lying, I recognized him the second I saw him. I'm very familiar with Game Grumps and their channel. Though admittedly I wasn't expecting fricking Egoraptor to show up last night, that was pretty awesome. However, I figured it would be best to keep calm. He probably got stopped by a few fans on his way over, and frankly I didn't want to seem to bothersome.

I sliced a piece out of a plate of hash-browns I had ordered, dipping them into a small amount of ketchup and eating them. It was then I thought to myself: Why the fuck am I narrating over eating my breakfast? How, Under any circumstance, Is this enjoyable for people? It just makes them crave hash-browns!

I felt a small buzz in my coat pocket. I pull it out and looked at the text that had just been sent to me.

_*Hey! This is Arin from last night. Me and my Co-workers had a conversation yesterday, You got the job!_

My eyes stared at the message for a few minutes in disbelief.

_> Really?_

I messaged back.

_*Yup! I'll Email you your schedule information and the location address later. You start this Monday. Welcome to the team!_

...This was real. I got a job working with the fucking Game Grumps holy shit! I took a large sip of my morning tea, trying to keep my excitement at a tamed level. 

_> Thanks, I'll see you Monday!_

Monday... I have an actual job, I guess now I won't have to sit outside playing ocarina music next to coffee shops and farmers markets. I won't get paid right away but hey, I'll still be getting more money...

... It just Occurred that I never really Introduced myself to you Guys... My Name Is Christopher. I'm Fifteen years old, and this is the story of how I met the Grumps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, So I'm gonna do some Explaining:
> 
> Sorry this chapter isn't really as descriptive, but I kinda wanted to get this out of the way without half-assing it as some intro piece.
> 
> Chapters for the Most part will be in the First-Person Narrative perspective you see in this chapter. The Third-Person View in the Prologue will be used for scenes where the new guy (Aka Me) Is not present (Which will be somewhat rare) OR is not the current focus.
> 
> Next Chapter will be up soon-ish


	3. First Days, First Impressions(1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris starts his first day on the Job.

I stopped at the top of a small hill, trying to catch my breath. I reread the directions Arin had sent me. Incase you don't know (Not sure why though it is really obvious) it's Monday now. Meaning Day 1 of my new job. I only had another block to go before I got to the building, though I was still rather exhausted. Admittedly I had walked a little quickly because I was worried about being Late, but I ended up arriving early because of how quick I had walked and how early I had awakened.  
And evidently, I was the first person to arrive that day. I had tried knocking, but no one showed up. I sighed, sitting to the side of the door and pulling out my ocarina. I played a simple tune to distract myself from growing bored. I couldn't really remember where I got this tune from, but it always seemed to come back to me whenever I played the song. 

Sometime later, I noticed a car had pulled up next to the building. I saw Arin step out, along with another person who I could only assume to be Suzy. After they had walked up, I realized I had been correct.

"You're here like, 30 minutes early." Arin said, a confused look on his face.

"I um... Wasn't sure how long it was gonna take to get here so I left earlier than I thought I would have to." I replied. Arin thought for a moment.

"Yeah, that makes sense." He mumbled. I stood up, grabbing my bag. 

"So, This is Chris?" Suzy interjected.

"Yup, He's the new guy." Arin confirmed. Suzy extended her hand forward.

"Pleased to finally meet you." She smiled. I grabbed her hand with my own, giving it a few shakes.

"T-The pleasure is all mine." I replied, giving a friendly grin... Which may have come off as awkward. Though, no one seemed to mind so I shrugged off that thought. Arin and Suzy led me into the building. It was a lot bigger than I had pictured it. It gave off the atmosphere of a large apartment, but it also was clear that it was an office space. I took a few moments to look around the space. The main area had a few couches and branched off into a section with a bunch of computers. After some inspection, I noticed that someone was currently asleep on one of the PC desks. 

_'Editor Grump hard at work.'_ I thought to myself. It was easy to see Kevin was exhausted, even while sleeping... Does that make sense? Ah, Screw it; it did to me. I heard footsteps and saw that Arin had walked up next to me

"Again?" He mumbled. He then walked over to the computer.

"Hey are is Headphones plugged in?" Arin asked. I looked down.

"Yup." I stated. Arin typed something into the searchbar of a web-browser. Then He stepped away and started counting backwards.

"...3...2...1..."

Kevin suddenly shot up from his position, nearly falling out of his chair before successfully pulling off his headphones. He then looked up at Arin in betrayal.

"The fuck was that for?" He grumbled.

"Kevin," Arin sighed, "I've told you a thousand times: Don't work yourself to sleep... Especially if you're in the office when you're doing it, It's not healthy." Kevin slowly stood up and murmured some complaint. Then he walked into an area that looked like a kitchen.

"Don't mind Kevin too much, He's been grumpy for a few days..." Arin told me, I heard a small chuckle from him as he said the last part. Ah, Yes... That is the name of your show, Good sir. It is funny because it is (wait for it)... A pun... Ravishing!

Arin proceeded to show me around the space, as well as explain some of their policies and such. He also showed me how to operate some of the equiptment that I might have to use during work. After that he gave me some mail that he wanted me to sort through, needless to say, there was tons of it... Quite literally.

"Once you finish that just wait until someone come and asks for your help, Alright?" He stated, "If you need anything or have a question just come find me."

"Yes, sir." I said, making a sort of goofy looking salute. Arin smiled back at me before walking off to do something else. I sat down and began going though the various letters and packages, Arin had requested that they be sorted by the names they were addressed too. This kept me distracted for a good while. Though, I did stop sometime later after I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see a slender figure with brunett hair that was a bit lighter than Arin's. My memory immediately singled out 'Ross' as the identity.

"You the new guy?" He asked.

"Yup." I replied.

"Anything in there for me?" He questioned, pointing to the mail.

"Yeah," I told him, gesturing to his pile, "I'm not done going through it though so if you take it now there might be more later." He picked up the stack of letters and packages anyways.

"Thanks." Ross said before walking away... Well, that happened. I went back to sorting through the mail. Again, this took a long time. In fact I had heard the door open and shut a few times as I was organizing the packages. When I finished, I labeled each of the piles with some sticky-notes and stood up to stretch my legs.

"Hey, New guy!" I heard someone call. I looked over, Noticing a tall man with very fluffy looking hair waving me over. Instinct told me his name was probably 'Dan'. I walked over to him.

"Whatcha need?" I asked.

"I dropped something behind the fridge," Dan explained, "Can you help me move it?"

"Oh, sure!" I chimed. The two of us carefully slid the fridge to the side. This was easier said than done. Admittedly, I'm not that strong, but eventually the fridge budged. When Dan had retrieved the object (It was a $20), We pushed it back into place. Dan looked over to me.

"Thanks... um... Sorry but I forgot your name..." He said sheepishly.

"Oh, That's alright!" I replied, "It's Christopher, Chris for short." 

"Chris..." Dan repeated, "Right, Little word of advice: Don't turn your back on Ross... He likes to pull pranks on the new guys... And if Brian asks you to do something ridiculous he's probably going to film it so... Keep that in mind." I wasn't sure what to make of this, but I gave a small nod.

"Uh, okay?" I mumbled. Dan went of to do something else.

Okay... So far today was interesting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay wow I am sorry for not updating I was doing a lot of stuff. Updates should be happening more consistently after this week so... Look forward to that.


	4. First Days, First Impressions (2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris's first day of work continues to surprise him

At about 12:45, Arin told me I could take my lunch break. By this point I was a bit tired and eager to eat something, so i was glad to hear this. I walked into the kitchen-ish area and sat myself down at the table, pulling out my lunch: An apple and a package of crackers. It wasn't big, but it would keep me sustained until my next meal.

As I chewed my food, I overheard an argument happening a few feet away. Judging by the voices, I concluded it was Barry and Brian. 

"Look, I'm sorry... Alright? I'll try to get him down." Brain sighed.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't thrown Poogie in the first place!" Barry exclaimed. I glanced over, The two of them were standing below one of the building's support beams. A stuffed pig was laying on the beam, out of anyone's reach. Judging by everyone's height, no one would be able to reach it. A perfect conundrum indeed...

Then again, there were multiple ways to achieve a goal. I finished off my apple and tossed it into the trash can. I looked up at the beams, sort of following them. As I suspected, there was a part where one of the beams diagonally based itself into the ground. I pulled myself up and began to balance on it. For whatever reason, I was born with an inept climbing ability. But, that's a story for another day. Wouldn't want to get too off topic... Is it off topic to say that it's off topic? Ah, I shouldn't think about it, Then it'll really be off topic... I think?

I carefully traversed the thin wooden beams, until I arrived where "Poogie" had landed. I looked down, Brian and Barry were still arguing and hadn't noticed me. After making sure my shirt was tucked in, I carefully hung myself upside-down from the beam. I poked Barry's shoulder and Held out the stuffed pig. Needless to say, He and Brian were both surprised. I don't blame them I basically look like a human bat right now.

"What the? How did- Who are you?" Barry questioned, his bewilderment was a bit funny.

"M'name's Chris," I smiled, "I think that this little piggy belongs to you?" Barry took Poogie from my hands.

"So, you're the new Intern?" Brian asked.

"Yup." I replied.

"... How is your hat still on your head right now?" Barry mumbled. I almost laughed. In actuality this was a random thing, but... 

"Y-years of practice." I said, a grin spread across my face. Barry seemed a bit spooked by this, Brian on the other hand seemed slightly impressed. For a while, the three of us were silent.

"Aren't you going to come down?" Brian stated.

"Um... I think I'm stuck." I replied sheepishly. Brian got a bit of a smirk on his face.

"...You mind if I film this?" He asked. I thought for a moment.

"U-Uh... Sure, go ahead!" I told him. Brian took no heed pulling his phone out and going into the camera. He began recording and narrated over the footage. Kinda like what i'm doing now (only this is writing).

"This is our new intern. It's only his first day on the job and he managed to get suck." Brian said, half chuckling.

"To be fair I'm only up here cause you threw the pig into the beams." Chris stated.

"Yeah, But you're the one who decided climbed up said beams." Brain retaliated.

"...can someone please help me get down? The blood is rushing to my head." I mumbled. Barry carefully grabbed me and helped me onto the floor. Brain snickered.

"Just another day in the office." He smirked. I dusted myself off, walking back to the table to finish off the rest of my crackers. When I was done I threw away my trash and stretched my arms a bit. During this time, Kevin walked by. He started heating up some food when I seemed to catch his eye. He looked at me for a moment, half-glaring and half-confused

"... Why are you wearing that hat?" He asked. Of all things he could have said, he asks about my hat? Seriously? 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"That hat... Isn't it a bit hot? Plus it's dorky as fuck." He said. 

"I dunno? It's my hat. And hat's belong on heads, do they not?" I replied. Kevin stared me down for a moment, then walked back to his desk. 

... I wonder what's up with him...

* * *

 

For a while I was on a bit of a standby, to the point where I fumbled around with my hat to keep myself entertained. I am not going to speak over this because it is boring... Very Very Very boring...

"Hey, Chris?" Suzy called out. I jolted a bit, then I walked towards her.

"Yeah?"

"We have a bunch of boxes outside, think you could help me?" She asked.

"W-Well, I mean... That's what I'm being paid for, isn't it? Extra help?" I said, somewhat in a joking way. It must've worked, because Suzy laughed.

"That you are," She agreed, "C'mon, follow me." Suzy led me a bit outside of the building. There weren't too many boxes, but they were a bit heavy looking. As we carried the first one off, we started to converse a bit.

"So... how you doing?" Suzy questioned.

"O-Okay, I guess." I sighed.

"You guess?"

"Er, nothing bad... I'm J-Just a bit nervous cause... new people, y'know?" I explained. She nodded in understanding. I'm mostly an introverted person, so I'm not used to being around 8 (or 9? I lost count.) other people at once. It's a bit overwhelming. Though, at the same time, this place gave off a bit of a comforting vibe... It's hard to explain.

"So, what do you think of everyone?" Suzy asked.

"... Th-Their great," I said, "For some reason the office gives off a vibe that makes me feel like we could inexplicably start hugging and be perfectly fine with it." Suzy laughed at this.

"Yeah, we have a few times. It's nice." I looked down a bit.

"Something seemed off about that one guy... Kevin? Is he alright?" I asked. 

"Oh, Him... He's okay, he's probably just stressed," She explained, "I mean, He fell asleep in the office... again. Just, give him some time, Okay?" I nodded. Something told me there might be more too it than that, but I suppose it's not really my business to be budding into.

"So... what's your life like?"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts, not prepared for this question.

"Friends, Family, Hobbies?" Suzy trailed off, "You don't have to answer, just trying to keep this conversation going." Ah... I see. They picked me for a reason, I might as well break some of the ice. I pondered for a few minutes, thinking of a reply.

"Well, I play the ocarina," I mumbled, "But you probably already knew that... I'm self-taught so I try to practice whenever I'm not doing something else. I also draw and write a bit."

"Really? Arin and Ross do a lot of art stuff, I'm sure they'd like to see your work sometime!" Suzy said, "You said you write, too?"

"Yeah... I have a lot of poetry and original stuff... So... there's that..." I explained, "I haven't really written something in a while, bit of a creativity block. But, When it comes back I'll be sure to let you guys have a look." 

"Good." Suzy smiled. By this point we had finished carrying in the last box.

"Alright... Need anything else?" I asked.

"Nope, that should be it." Suzy said as she stretched her arms. She glanced over at the time.

"Oh, hey... It's almost time to go home." She noted. I looked over, sure enough my shift was just about over... Though I presumed everyone left at about the same time.

Huh... That was quite a first day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo... Sorry this took a while, bit of a block... Will try to write more. also it's 1:24 am RIP me lol nightt
> 
> Special thanks to SunniApplePie for helping me with stuff.


	5. Raining Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glitter is dangerous

So... Nothing of interest happened after work yesterday. So instead of narrating over my walk home, I decided that we're just gonna go ahead and skip into today. We good? Great.

Anyways, so far not too much has happened today. I sorted some papers and reorganized the game collection. The second one is a lot harder than it sounds, These people have like 5,000 different games... And some of them are duplicates.

"No, no, no, fuck!" I heard Kevin mumble. I looked over. He was clicking his mouse and pressing different keyboard buttons rapidly. I'm not always good at reading emotions, but something told me he was in distress over whatever was happening.

"C'mon work!" He begged quietly. I looked around, no one else seemed to have taken any notice. I walked over.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Kevin jumped in his seat and spun around, though he calmed down when he saw it was me.

"Oh... nothing." He sighed. I looked at his monitor, which was blank. 

"Computer problems?" I guessed. Kevin looked as though he didn't want to admit this, But he nodded.

"It isn't turning on... and I left my backup and laptop at my apartment..." He groaned. I got down to the actual computer drive and gave it a look. I pressed the power button, sure enough nothing happened. I looked at the various power cords, nothing seemed out of place.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a small multi-tool, then I undid a few screws on the face of the computer cover. It popped off fairly easily when the last one had been loosened.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kevin questioned. He sounded as though he wanted to yell, but he didn't want to cause a scene so it came out as a shout-whisper.

"Just trust me." I assured. Okay, sure. Trust the kid who started here like, a day ago. I know it sounds ridiculous but I mean, I know what I'm doing. I looked into the wires of the system and found the problem: one had snapped out somehow. I reached back into my bag and pulled out some duct tape, tearing a piece off. I pushed the wire into place and held it to that spot with the tape.

"Try it now." I told him. Kevin gave me a look of doubt, but he pressed the on button...  
Sure enough, the computer screen lit up. Kevin stared at me in shock.

"How... but... your...." He murmured. I screwed the cover back on and stood up.

"When I was about five, I fixed an old TV at my grandparent's house. Had the exact same problem." I explained as I walked away. Kevin didn't reply, though he was probably busy making sure nothing got lost. That would be bad, it probably would set him behind a few days on work... And might mean the others would have to record a few other sessions to make up some time.

* * *

A few more hours passed before much of interest happened, because me narrating food is truly something that needs to happen all the time... Anyhow, I just gotten back from taking a trash bag outside to the dumpster when this happened:

"Chris?" I heard Ross call out. I looked over, seeing him peak around a corner. Though, he was a bit taller than he should be. Was he hanging from something? Who am I kidding of course he was.

"What do you need?"

"I'm stuck... please help." He begged, giving me a sad face. I felt as though my heart sank, He looked very helpless being stuck like that. Though, It was also very pathetic seeing a grown man hanging from... something. Like I said he was behind a corner.

"Okay. I'm gonna find a step ladder... hang tight."

"Hurry!" Ross whimpered. I looked around, trying to locate the ladder... wait I don't know where the ladder is... Do we even have one?

"You looking for something?" Dan asked, looking in an odd way.

"Ross got stuck up high, I'm trying to find a ladder." I explained.

"Well your out of luck, ours went missing earlier this week." Dan stated. I groaned, Then something clicked in my head.

"You're pretty tall... I bet you could help." 

"Oh... alright," Dan replied, "Where is Ross?" I began leading him over, though at some point he began to trail ahead. Something told me that this may not be the first time Ross had gotten stuck in this spot. Dan disappeared behind the corner, I quickly sped my pace to catch up with him.

When I turned I saw Ross balanced on a ladder and Dan standing below him, covered in a shit ton of glitter... What?

"Fuck... that was supposed to hit Chris!" Ross groaned. Wait he was tricking me? What?? My thoughts were cut off when Arin, Brian, and Barry ran over to the scene.

"Goddamnit Ross," Arin grumbled, "Do you know how hard it is to get rid of glitter?"

"We're gonna be seeing this shit here for years." Brian commented.

"Oh, so that's what happened to the ladder." Barry mumbled. Arin sighed.

"Ross, You're cleaning this up. I don't think it would be fair to have Chris do this considering you were the one causing mayham."

"Arin, Not to be rude, But I don't think a bag of glitter qualifies as 'mayhem' material." Ross replied. 

"Just fucking clean this shit." Arin said, glaring at him. Ross scampered off the ladder and went to get the broom. I turned my attention back to Dan. He was oddly still.

"Dan... Are you okay?" Dan said nothing, the glitter that covered him was glimmering under the light. He turned over to face me.

"...Never turn your back on him." Dan warned before walking away, likely to dust himself off. Ross came back with the broom in hand and began sweeping the small bits of glitter.

"... You might have more success with a lint roller." I suggested before walking off to do more work.

* * *

After a few more hours work ended and I started trekking back home. I had to stop at the store to get a few things cause we were out of food, but personally I didn't mind. As I entered, I felt a small buzz in my pocket. I pulled out my phone, noticing I had gotten a new message.

 **sunniapplepie:** Hey Chris, wazzup? :P

I chuckled when I saw the name. Me and Sunni were pretty good pals. I hadn't gotten the chance to talk to most of my friends in a while so I decided to reply as I began walking through the store.

 **penguinpatrolerarmy** : Oh, Hey Sunni... I just got off work actually. You?

 **sunni:** Not much, just reading and writing, the usual lol how was work?

 **penguin:** Okay... Kevin was freaking out cause his computer started to malfunction but I managed to fix it... And Dan's hair is probably gonna be full of glitter for the next 5 years...

 **penguin** : ... So... What have you been writing?

 **sunni** : Eh, nothing too great. Just some original shit. But it's all bunched up ideas with no real plot yet.

 **penguin** : Ah... yeah... I tried writing something earlier during my lunch break, no luck :(

 **sunni** : Maybe if we swap some ideas, something can come out of it :)

 **sunni** : Then again, you might be a bit too busy with the new job and all

 **penguin** : Maybe... 

I Looked over at some random Vegetables. My eyes were set on a very appetizing looking cucumber... but there was also a bag of potatoes. I noted the prices, then I typed into my phone.

 **penguin** : Hey, what do you think is a better deal: An entire cucumber for $1.99 or a sack of potatoes for $3 even?

 **sunni** : O.O what kinda question is that??

 **penguin** : the kind you ask at a grocery store?

 **sunni** : I would have assumed something else lol anyway, go for good ol taters. Those last you a lot longer anyway

 **penguin** : yeah, your right... no amount of cucumber craving is gonna change that :/

I grabbed the potatoes and carried them in my basket. I felt another buzz in my pocket.

 **sunni:** Lolol we should change ur name to Chriscumber

 **penguin** : ... no. We shouldn't...

 **sunni** : Aw why not? And we'll get u a shirt and everything

 **penguin** : you can't tell but i am rolling my eyes at you right now...

 **sunni** : Oh I don't doubt it XP

 **penguin** : ... A shirt would be tolerable though... i guess

 **sunni** I'll see about getting you one

 **penguin** : cool.

 **sunni** : Xp

I looked over into one of the store fridges, scanning over various juices and drinks. None of them were too expensive. Though I don't think we have a working fridge. I pondered for a moment, then I consulted Sunni.

 **penguin:** Hey, does orange juice spoil if it's unrefrigerated?

 **sunni:** Preeeetty sure, why do you ask?

 **penguin** : I was thinking about getting some... Gotta keep up that vitamin C...or D... Or whatever... I'll just get two real oranges...

 **penguin** : better than soiled juice.

I began walking back towards the produce.

 **sunni** : Sounds good lol oh btw, you mentioned work before. How is the job?

 **penguin:** It's good. It pays really well. Like, $13 dollars an hour so...

 **sunni** : Ooo Mr. Fancy. I'd kill to have a job that good. Plus you get to chill at a cool ass office all day. Instead of standing in the LA heat

 **penguin** : Yeah but then there's sleeping in LA heat :/

 **sunni** : Oh yeah DX definitely not fun

 **penguin** : nope

 **sunni** : Well buck up buddy, it's gonna get better from here

 **penguin** : Yeah. I mean, can't get worse... Right?

 **sunni** : True, very true. Oh crap, my break's almost over. I gotta get back in the store. I'll talk to you later Chriscumber!

 **penguin** : Yeah, See ya.

 **sunni** : P.S. if you could, can you maybe bring up lil ol me to Mr. Curly Locks?? I'm kidding.....kinda

 **penguin** : heh... I'll think about it.

 **sunni** : :P thanks buddy. See ya later *hug*

 **penguin** : you too, *hug*

As I put my phone away, I accidentally bumped into someone. I immediately stumbled and backed away.

"O-Oh. S-Sorry, I didn't see wh-where I was going." I stammered.

"...Chris?" I looked up. Oh thank god it was Barry... I mean, It's still embarrassing but at least it wasn't a total stranger. I took a breath.

"...What are you doing here?" Barry questioned.

"Oh, My mom wanted me to pick up a few things while I was out, " I explained, "Why are you here?"

"Me and Dan don't live too far from here, We come here practically everyday." He stated.... Oh...

"Well um, Sorry... again. I just got done messaging someone and I didn't see you." I said sheepishly.

"Nah, It's fine," He shrugged, "Happens to everyone..." There was a brief, awkward silence. Then, somehow, the two of us ended up finishing shopping together. We walked

outside, only to be met with rain.

"Huh. The weatherman said there wasn't gonna be any rain." Barry mumbled.

"They're always wrong," I grumbled, "Weather is too unpredictable to bend to the laws of science." As I said this the rain picked up it's pace. I fucking jinxed it goddamn.

"Crap." I murmured. This was gonna be a pain to walk though. Barry looked at me.

"Do you um... want a ride home?" He offered.

"Oh, Um... It's not to far of a walk." I stammered. Barry didn't seem too convinced.

"Yeah, but it's pouring... You'll catch a cold." I avoided eye-contact. My mind seemed to shut down for a moment.

"... Well, At least let me give you an Umbrella..." He said, almost in a sort of pout.

"... Sure, an Umbrella would be fine." I smiled. Barry led me to his Car. After he placed his groceries inside of the trunk he handed me the umbrella.

"I'll give this back to you tomorrow at work." I said, " And um... Thanks."

"No problem," Barry smiled, "You be careful walking home, I'll see you tomorrow!" I opened the umbrella and started walking away. 

The constant pattering of the rain against the fabric filled my ears. It had been a while since I last saw rain. It was... Soothing. I suppose. Rain always meant home to me, nothing would change that... Except thunder. I cannot stand thunder, or many loud noises to be fair. But, nonetheless, I enjoyed rain. I let the sound of the water sort of lull me as I made my way down the streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. Sorry this took a while.... and Sorry this is kinda filler-y.... the next one will be a bit more plotted.  
> Thanks again to SunniApplePie for helping me with this :)


	6. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at the minds of 7 others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooo, I'm baaaaaaaack!!! Heh, Sorry this took a while, more chapters will be up soon.

I remember when I saw him waiting outside of the cafe. I was shocked at first, in fact I completely doubted that it was the same kid I was late to interview. But it was, he had sat their patiently long after the cafe was closed. I never questioned him about it, deciding that since he was here we might as well do the interview, so I instead took him to a 24-hour diner I knew of. The interview went fairly well, I asked him a bit about his interests as well as a few things he had placed in the 'Additional Information' section on his application. I remember actually being kinda bummed when I noticed how late it had gotten, but nonetheless we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Somehow, in that single moment, I knew I'd have to convince the others that that kid was the right choice.

* * *

  
When Arin came home the night after the Interview, he was the happiest that I had seen him in a while. He talked to me for nearly an hour about the kid and how he was certain he was 'the one'. I couldn't help but smile at how excited he was about that kid, Christopher I believe his name was... When I first saw him, I was initially perplexed as to why he came to work as early as he did. When Arin introduced the two of us, the kid's face lit up into an awkward but genuine smile. As the day went on, I decided to see for myself if everything Arin had boasted was true. I'd managed to pull him aside to help me a little bit, and gave him my own little 'interview'. He was definitely shy, but very spirited. His answers were a little concise, like he'd been holding himself back from talking too much... Though, despite this, he was a good kid; I could see why Arin wanted him in particular.

* * *

  
The first thing I'd thought when I first saw him, he was probably the youngest person who'd ever worked at this office... Even younger than Kevin. Though this wasn't a bad thing, the younger they are the easier they can be deceived. I remember when was thinking of how to prank him, glitter was the first thing to come to mind. I stashed the ladder away in a hidden spot, I'd even spent $8 on a bag of the sparkly dust just to do this... However, things backfired when I accidentally dumped it onto Dan's "jewfro". Arin was noticeably pissed, and told me to clean up the mass of glitter that landed on the floor. That kid looked over me, recommending that I use a lint roller. I had no idea whether he was being completely serious, but I did know that I'd have to think of a much less messy prank for next time.

* * *

  
To be completely honest, I thought that kid had just accidentally wandered into our office that morning. It wasn't until I saw he was sorting our mail that I realized this was indeed our new intern. Because let's face it, no one just sorts mail for fun... At least I don't think they do. I stared over at him for a few moments. He was fairly tiny, much smaller than most of us. His hat was too big for his head, slipping right over his glasses. It was a little funny looking actually. He was quietly humming a tune as he went through the mail; it sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't remember what it was called. He seemed quite content with himself, having now finished sorting through all the mail we had gotten this week. I saw him turn my way, and started to panic because i just realized I was staring at a kid for 5 minutes straight. Luckily, I made it seem like I had dropped something behind the refrigerator and got him to help me 'retrieve' it... Crisis averted.

* * *

   
Where on earth does Arin find these people? We have a fresh collage graduate, we had an Irish guy, and now: A high schooler with hats too big for his head. He's literally hired a child. I mean, to be fair, Arin's reasoning for choosing him of all people did make sense; The kid had a fair amount of skills and seemed talented. But at the moment I wasn't too convinced, so I gave him a little test. I noticed Barry's prized stuffed animal, Poogie, laying just a few feet away. I quickly threw it up into the support beams. Barry, naturally, was upset about this. Neither of us were quite tall enough to reach the pig, and the ladder had been mysteriously missing. Me and Barry got into a small argument about this. Then, after a short while, I noticed the new guy swing down and tap Barry on the shoulder... I shall always remember the look of bewilderment that had spread across Barry's face in that moment.

* * *

  
That kid literally appeared to me like a bat out of hell. Our first interaction took place as he held himself on the beams near the ceiling. Though, I was rather happy he'd gotten Poogie back for me. I would definitely have to do something to return the favor.... I found this kid to be somewhat interesting. According to his application he was only about 15 years of age, which makes him the youngest person who's ever worked here. He never took his hat off, and simply turned it backwards when it obscured his sight... Then there was the other thing. He got quiet that day I offered to drive him home in the rain. It almost seemed like there was something he didn't want me knowing. But, I was probably overthinking it. To be fair, he was still getting used to being around us, and there isn't a total amount of trust. So, I respected his decision and gave him an umbrella.

* * *

  
I wasn't too sure why I even bothered with this kid, or why he bothered with me. I feel I would be infinitely less distracted if it weren't for the fact that he kept creeping back into my thoughts. I don't know why this kept happening, but it did. Then, the next thing I know, I'm looking away from my work. He wasn't even doing much, just sorting through mail and papers. Though, occasionally, he'd stop for a moment; staring down at his fingers and rubbing them together. Then he started humming to himself, oh... the Humming. I should be working on the video, I thought to myself, But instead I was listening to a kid humming to himself. It was a familiar tune, one of Dan's older ones I think, but in this moment I found it to be a minor annoyance. And sure, he could be helpful; He did manage to fix my computer earlier. But, he was too... different...

  
A different that I could not figure out.


	7. Somebody to Vernon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Vernon make some small talk in the office.

I wasn't sure exactly what time I had gone to bed last night. But it must have been somewhat late, because I woke up exhausted. It also was still raining, much to my surprise. Luckily; I still had Barry's umbrella from the night before, so keeping dry wouldn't be much of a hassle. The actual walk to work wasn't too eventful, yet i found it to be enjoyable. Small shallow puddles covered the streets and sidewalk, each making a small "splash" whenever I stepped into on. As boring as they were, I found these few moments in my life to be soothing. Like I said before, rain always felt like home to me... And since California usually doesn't get much rain, these moments somehow felt more special.

Once I had reached the building I tried to open the door, only to discover it was locked. I was the first one here, and Arin still hadn't gotten me a key for me. I sighed, sitting on the ground and positioning the umbrella upright. The rain was starting to stop, but not by much. If I had to guess, I'd say it'd be another 30 to 45 minutes before it ceased completely. Though, admittedly, I didn't care too much. I wasn't even sure why I was thinking about this... Boredom, I suppose.

Eventually, I noticed a car drive into the parking lot. Someone exited the car, they were holding a laptop in one hand and a coffee in the other. As they got closer I realized that this was Kevin. He glanced over at me for a moment, almost with a sort of glare. He unlocked the door, quickly stepping inside and shutting it. I tried to follow him, only to once more find that the door was locked. I knocked on it, but Kevin didn't come back. I started questioning whether to continue knocking or to try ramming the door down. Though, the remembrance of an earlier conversation stopped me.

"He's probably just stressed.... give him some time, okay?"

I sighed. Kevin probably just needed to be alone for a little while, and as an introverted person I was understanding of that. I leaned against the wall, deciding to wait for someone else to come. Luckily, it wasn't too long before another car pulled in. I watched as the person stepped out and started walking towards me. Though, unlike before, I didn't completely recognize them... I was sure I'd seen them around, but we'd never interacted with eachother. I did hear Arin mention them by name I think. Vincent? Merlon? Chri- no wait... That is my name, I am Chris. I continued to go through various names in my head, but I failed to find the right one before they got to the door. They looked at me for a moment.

"... Are... You the new intern?" They asked. I nodded my head.

"Arin forgot to get you a key, didn't he?" They followed up. I nodded again. The person smiled, pulling out a chain with various keys on it. They singled one out and used it to unlock the door.

"There ya go, Kiddo." 

"Thank you..." I muttered , hesitating to say a name. The man paid no mind, and offered his hand to me.

"Vernon Shaw." He said. I took his hand, giving it a few shakes.

"Christopher Murphy." I replied. The two of us walked into the office, putting away our rain gear. I noticed Kevin was looking over at us. For the first time, I think he was smiling.

"Whoa, Kevin. Did you fall asleep at work again?" Vernon questioned.

"Nah, I got hear a little earlier cause I needed to update my backup files." Kevin explained.

"Oh, Well Chris here was outside... Why didn't you let him in?" Kevin's smile misapprehended for a moment. His expression was blank, but he was giving off an irritated vibe.

"He was? I must have not heard him knock..." He lied in a rather convincing way. I would have bought it had I not known the truth. I almost wanted to call him ou, but I decided that pointless arguing would have to be saved for another day. 

"Hm. Well, Arin hasn't given him a key yet. So if you come in early try listening for knocking... Or just leave the door unlocked." Vernon suggested. Kevin made a small hum before turning away, occupying himself with some editing.

"Hey Chris, You think you can help me with some stuff in the sound-booth?" Vernon asked.

"S-sure." I said. Vernon then led me into the recording booth, which consisted of two rooms. A recording room, where all the microphones and cameras were set up; and a tech room, which had various devices and equipment neatly arranged. Vernon took me into the tech room, then shut the door. He looked at me with a somewhat concerned expression.

"Are you okay? You got kind of quiet back there."

"Oh, um... I-I'm still kinda getting used to being around everyone..." I stuttered.

"Ah, Yeah... Took me a bit of time to adjust to everyone's antics," Vernon recalled, "If you ever need a quiet place to think or just mellow out during you're break, there's a storage room near the back. The walls are kinda thick so it's super quiet... I can show you where it is later if you ask." 

"Really? Um, Thank you..." I mumbled. Vernon smiled. The two of us were silent for a few moments, then Vernon offered to show me how to operate some of the recording equipment. I found myself rather engaged as he explained in a very intricate manner how everything worked. Talking about little details and even occasionally telling small stories about mishaps that had occurred during work. Plus, this information could be useful if I ever had to work some of this equipment myself. I doubt it will ever happen, but if it did at least I'd know what to do.

Eventually I had to leave because Ross and Barry needed to record. I thanked Vernon for his tour, then went to do my own work. Something about Vernon was very... pleasant. He was extremely kind and happy to answer most of my questions. I was surprised by how generous he was-

"Hey, Chris?" Arin called out, "Could you help me with something?" I walked over to him and awaited my instructions. Thinking about my co-workers could be saved for another time, I suppose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a bit of a simpler chapter... I mostly put this in just to use that awesome pun for the chapter name.
> 
> Vernon isn't going to be a central part of the actual story, but he'll appear in every now and then. He's more supporting than a main part.


	8. Rainy Nights, Sunni Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris gets a big surprise from his friend

I tooka big sip of my tea, my cheek pressed against the cool window as I waited in the small diner. It felt weird, not working. I mean, I'd only worked there for a week, but my first weekend was somewhat strange to me.

I sighed, checking at my phone for new messages. Sunni and I had been messaging back and forth almost all morning. She wanted to take me someplace to hang out for the day. Dispite not living too far, we didn't get to see eachother too often. We were both somewhat busy with our own things, I suppose.

A text came up on my phone.

 **Sunni:** heeeeeey I'm heading towards ur position right now

 **Penguin:** Yaaaayyy :D

 **Sunni:** you got a coat and your wallet w/ u?

 **Penguin** : Yeah, I usually bring them when I leave my place anyways… Why do you ask?

 **Sunni:**...no reason lol

I stared at the text in suspicion for a moment… She definitely had something planned. I looked out the window and saw a car pull up. Sunni stepped out, waving me over. She was wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt, and a silly pair of sunglasses. I walked up and gave her a hug.

“It’s good to see you again.” I said with a smile.

“You too, little bro!” Sunni grinned, running up to me to give me a hug. We soon got into her car and she drove us to the mystery location.

“So, how have you been?” I asked, playing with my thumbs.

“Pretty good. Been busy with college, art, all that. Wish I had time to just relax though, it gets kinda irritating.” Sunni explained.

“Yeah? Well, we’ve got all of today to relax, so… that’s something… right?”

“Totally. Plus it's fun to hang out with you all day, little bro. You're gonna love where I take you.”

“Yeah… Where is that again?” I asked.

“Oh you'll see.” Sunni gave a coy smirk. I was still rather confused as to why she was keeping it a surprise, but i decided to try to not think about it too much. I looked out the window, listening to the music coming from the car speakers.

An hour went by, and I noticed the roads were lined in purple and green for some reason.

“Why are the streets all rainbow?” I questioned, “They aren’t usually colorful."

“Well this place we're going to is, quite colorful.” Sunni replied.

“...Is it a pride parade?” I asked.

“Pfff, no actually.” Sunni giggled.

“Dang, I like parades…” I sighed.

“Well this place has TONS of parades, so you're not missing out.”

“Okay…” I replied, trying to think of where she could be taking me. I stared at my fingers, deep in thought for a few moments.

“We're here!” Sunni said excitedly. The signs above the highway read ‘Disney Way’.

“...You’re taking me to Disneyland?” I guessed.

“Yep! Happy Birthday.”

“...Isn’t this place expensive though?” I mumbled.

“A bit, but I'm paying, so don't worry.” Sunni said. “You just focus on having a good time.”

“Okay.” I said. Admittedly, I felt a little bad that she was paying for everything… but at the same time it was a gift i suppose…  
Once we parked, she got out and pulled her purse and camera out of her bag. “Ready to go?”

“Yup.” I replied, making sure I had my stuff with me. I closely followed Sunni, making sure we didn’t get separated. This was a pretty big place and truthfully, I had a habit of getting lost easily.

We went to the ticket counter as Sunni bought the tickets. She also said something to the ticket teller, who then gave her a blue pin and a marker.

“What’s that?” I mumbled, staring at the objects. She wrote out ‘Chris’ on it and stuck it to my shirt. “It's a birthday pin.”

“Oh. Mkay.”

“P.S. point this out when we get inside. You get perks for it being your birthday.” Sunni grinned.

“I...do? Well, that’s neat.” I smiled.

“Well, come on buddy!” Sunni took my hand and started running to the park entrance like a little kid. I’d only been to Disneyland maybe once or twice before today… But Sunni practically lives here. I was interested to see where this would go, her being somewhat of an expert on the park… Or at the very least more knowledgeable about it that I was.

We entered and the place is alive in color and people. Music playing and a lot of activity everywhere. There was a scent of vanilla and various sweets filling the air, much to my delight. I’ll admit, I’m not usually good in crowds; but I figured as long as I was with Sunni I’d be fine… and there were usually lots of benches around the park should either of us need a break.

Sunni hooked arms with me as we walked down Main Street. She pointed out the details on the buildings and some trivia she picked up over her time there. And once we meet one of the workers there (she says they're called cast members?) they saw my birthday pin and gave me a smaller Disney pin with Tinkerbell on it.

* * *

Eventually we traversed around the many different lands and had gone on a few different rides. I was surprised that the park wasn't more crowded, considering it was Summer and a weekend... But I decided to just assume it was luck.

“Okay, we got Pirates over there, Haunted Mansion down the way, or if you wanna break for lunch?” Sunni asked after our second ride on the carousel.

“I am pretty hungry… I didn’t have too much for breakfast.” I replied.

“Ah gotcha. Okay, there should be a lunch place next to Frontierland, if you're up for it.” Sunni suggested.

“Well, what kind of food do they serve?” I asked.

“Let's see. There's sandwiches, soup, salad, and probably a bit more.”

“Hm… Alright, I think I’d like to go there.” I said.

“Sweet! Let's go.” Sunni replied. We went over to the restaurant, and Sunni went up to the counter to look at the menu. I looked over it as well, seeing what they had to eat.

“Hm...they have Ruben, cheese sandwiches, tomato soup…” Sunni read off.

“Tomato soup sounds pretty good.” I said.

“Gotcha. Okay, one tomato so- oh, do you want a bread bowl?” she asked.

“I probably shouldn’t… Gluten allergy, remember?” I stated.

“Oh right! Sorry.” Sunni blushed in embarrassment.

“If you’d like gluten free crackers with your soup, you can.” the lady at the counter said.

“Really? That’d be nice.” I replied. The lady smiled and added the crackers to our order.

“Okay, and I’d like a Ruben with fries please.” Sunni finished, paying for her order once it was done being tallied.

“Will that be all for today?” She asked us.

“Well, Chris? You want anything else?” Sunni added.

“Hm… No, I think I’ll be good.” I said.

“Okay, enjoy! Oh and happy birthday.” the lady smiled.

“Thank you!” I smiled back. The lady left, leaving me and Sunni alone.

Sunni nudged me “Soooooo, how's your day at Disneyland going?”

“It’s been great so far,” I responded, “Thanks for bringing me.”

“Hey no problem. It's the least I could do, you needed to have a fun birthday trip.”

“Yeah… It’s been awhile since i did something for my birthday… Other than get a small cake, i mean.” I admitted.

“Yeah I'll bet...you know...staying over at my place is still an option.” Sunni offered just as the waitress came over with our lunch. We thanked her for the meal, then she once more left us.

“Well… I’ll think about it.” I sighed, taking a sip of soup. “So, do you want to hear about my new job?”

“OOO, do tell.” Sunni grinned.

“Wll, It’s sort of an Internship position… But they said they’d be willing to take anyone because they needed a lot of help around the office.” I explained, “My co-workers are very nice and it’s a pretty homey place to work at… plus it’s like... 13 dollars an hour.”

“Whoa, sounds nice! I'm glad you found someplace you like. What do you mostly do as the intern?” Sunni asked.

“Sorting papers, some cleaning… I occasionally help set up some of the tech and machinery, too. Sometimes I make coffee runs to this shop across the street.” I stated, “It’s kinda like an errand-boy position in some ways.”

“Seems kind of challenging. How many people work there?” Sunni questioned.

“Like… 8… 9 others I think?” I recalled, “Something like that… Sort of depends on who comes in for work that day.”

“Oh wow.” Sunni blinked.

“Yeah… But it’s not too bad, Plus they have a quiet room for when it gets too hectic or when people need to chill out for a bit… So, that’s nice.” I mentioned.

“Aw that's great. Well, I hope things go okay for you there.”

“Yeah, me too… There’s this one guy at my job, I don’t think he likes me too much… But I can’t think of any reason why? Suzy told me that Kevin just needs some space… And at one point Vernon sort of pulled me out of a situation that got kinda awkward…”

Sunni nodded, then realization hit “Wait...Suzy...Vernon...Kevin...YOU WORK FOR THE GAME GRUMPS?!”

“N-not so loud…. And um… yeah… kinda… I swear I had no Idea until after I applied! I was waiting for a guy to come interview me and next thing I know Arin Hanson takes me to a diner and pays for dinner… it was surreal.”

Sunni covered her mouth, but she clearly look astonished. “Dude...that's amazing! I-I’m stunned.”

“I can hardly believe it myself…” I admitted, “The flyer mentioned it was for a Youtube group… But i assumed it’d be something smaller… Now I’m working for Game Grumps…”

Sunni grinned wide behind her hands “That's...like a one in a million shot, dude! I'm so happy for you!”

“Well, that’s good… I was kinda afraid you might be upset i didn’t tell you…”

Sunni removed her hands “You kidding? It's exciting, yeah, but privacy is always okay.”

“Mkay… Thank you for understanding.” I said. I munched on a few of the crackers my meal had come with.

“So...the one big question remains though…” Sunni said.

“...And that would be?”

“.....If Dan Avidan is as handsome in person as he is in his videos.” Sunni’s ears suddenly turned pink.

“...One could argue he’s cuter.” I answered.

Sunni squealed like a little girl, then immediately covered her mouth. I chuckled a bit, then finished off what was left of my soup…. Which by this point, wasn’t much.  
After we finished lunch, Sunni and I sat on one of the benches near the Walt Disney and Mickey statue. Surprisingly, despite being a very iconic piece of the park, not many people were crowding around it.

“So… What now?” I asked.

Sunni shrugged “What do you feel like doing?”

“Maybe a few more rides?” I replied, “I also kinda wanted to look in one of the gift shops before we left…”

“Oh sure! Plus I got you a t-shirt.” Sunni grinned.

“...You did?” I mumbled.

“Yep! It's...ah I should keep it a secret till we get back.”

“Okay…” I smiled, “Can’t wait to see what it is.”

“I'm sure you'll like it. Plus, you'll be the talk of your workplace.” Sunni giggled. I wondered what she meant by that last part for a moment, but decided not to worry. Sunni never steered me wrong before.

“Hey come on, we can pick up some candy before we head out, too.” Sunni said, lightly pulling me out of the bench. I let her tug me along what eventually became a medium sized crowd of people. We walked for a bit, then eventually stopped inside one of the stores. Sunni began looking at the clothes and Mickey hats. I found myself near some of the toys and stuffed characters… which happens to me a lot now that I think about it.

“See anything you like, dude?” Sunni called, placing a R2-D2 dress to her shirt. I looked a bit at a small plush of Eeyore.

“Um…” I pulled the small toy off the shelf, “Is this okay?”

She came over to see the plush. “Aw it's so cute!”

“Yeah… I like Eeyore… He’s my favorite I think.”

“Then totally get ‘em.” Sunni nodded. I smiled, keeping the toy on-hand.

* * *

 

“Did you have fun, Chris?” Sunni asked chewing on her candy apple.

“Yeah,” I yawned, “I think that was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“I'm glad you had a good time. It was pretty great.”

“It sure was.” I was currently gnawing gently on a somewhat big lollipop.

“Okay, let's head out, it's getting kinda cloudy.” Sunni pointed out.

“Y’know… Up in Washington, word goes around that it doesn’t usually rain down here… That’s almost all that’s happened since I’ve moved.” I noted.

“Pfff, they said the same to me about when I lived in Hawaii. Like ‘ohh it doesn't rain here, you're on the islands’. And for maybe 3 months, nothing but rain.”

“Really? Hm… Maybe some states have serious beef with each other but a certain number of citizens are unaware of it?” I suggested.  
Sunni laughed “that’d explain a lot of things.” We laughed and joked around for a bit as we walked to Sunni’s car.

“When we get back to LA, what's your plan?” Sunni asked me.

“Oh… right. Um… I might just go back to my place… I mean, most of my stuff is there…” I mumbled.

“But it's gonna rain, dude?” Sunni frowned.

“I-I’ll be fine… Besides, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience your folks.” I mumbled, rubbing some of my shirt fabric in my fingers.

“Dude you wouldn't be an inconvenience. I'll just tell my folks, your folks are out of town and you need a place to stay for the night.” Sunni said. I looked down at my shoes.

“... Do you think they’d even want me there?” I murmured.

“Of course, they won't mind. My mom will probably feed you the second you come in.” Sunni giggled.

“Well… Alright.” I sighed, “But only for tonight… I have work monday and I only know how to get to the office from my street.”

“Deal.” Sunni smiled, patting me on the shoulder. We both got into her car.

As we drove, I pressed my face against the window. It was very tranquil; the dim lights of the road, the soft sound of rain, and Skyhill playing from the stereo. They all came together into a peaceful display. I wasn't sure if Sunni had said anything to me during this time, but if she had I likely didn't notice. I just let the soft noise and exhaustion from walking all day lull me to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooaaaahh kayyyy.... Heh, sorry I haven't updated in so long you guys!! School got really intense and i didn't have much time to write anymore. But I am back now and will hopefully be able to get more done.
> 
> Another Thanks to SunniApplePie for help with this chapter!


	9. An Equally Sunni Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Day from Sunni's point of view.

I checked my phone every few minutes, wondering why Chris hadn’t returned any of my calls yet. It was nearly lunch time, and we’d had planned out an afternoon while I was on break from work, to eat at a nearby sushi place. So why wasn’t he responding yet? It had been nearly fifteen minutes.

Then suddenly my phone dinged. I checked the message.

 **Penguin** : Hey Sorry! Um, we were gonna do something, right?

I sighed, my mouth turning up a smirk.

 **Sunni:** Yus, man! Remember? We were gonna try this one sushi place?

 **Peng:** Yeah, right! Should I start heading over or did you want to drive or?

 **Sunni** : Head on over, they have my car in the lot till my shift is over -__-

 **Peng:** Ah, mkay. If I get there before you I’ll see if I can get a table for us :)

 **Sunni:** COOLIO

I turned off my phone and slipped it into my pocket, Then grabbed my jacket and headed out, ready to chow down on some good japanese sushi. I didn’t get see Chris often, he’d usually be out job-hunting or trying to make money playing music. But they managed to hang out anytime they happened to have two simultaneous breaks.

...

It was nearly 2pm when I got to the sushi place. It was a somewhat well known shop called simply “Sushi Joint”. I hadn’t been here before, but I was eager to try it out. It was a tad crowded, though not as busy as a few of the restaurants I’d passed along the way. Somehow, I was able to make it to the counter and ask if Chris had arrived.

“No, no Chris.” The lady replied.

My shoulders slumped as I nodded “Okay. Thanks anyway. Um, can I just have a table for two and wait for him to get here?”

“Sure. We had a couple just leave, give us a few minutes to clean the table.” The Cashier replied.

“Alright. Thank you.” Sunni smiled. I then sat down on a small couch near the front window, gazing outside. I felt slightly worried, Chris wasn’t too familiar with the area and even if he was he’d always managed to get lost.

I pulled out my phone to text him again.

 **Sunni:** Hey man, I’m here. Where iz u?

A few moments passed before I received a response.

 **Peng:** Um, I took a wrong turn at one of the crosswalks… I think I’m on the road opposite of the restaurant though so nothing to bad.

 **Sunni** : okay uhh be careful! I’ll see u inside, k?

 **Peng:** Alrighty :p

I waited a few more minutes, eventually I could spot a familiar face heading for the sushi restaurant's front door. Chris walked in with his usual, hesitant gait. He glanced around a moment, eventually locating me walking over.

“S-Sorry about that.” He mumbled.

I immediately got up and gave him  a massive bear hug “Hey it’s okay! I’m just glad you didn’t get lost.”

“Like all those times in Costco?” Chris questioned.

“Yeah exactly.’ I laughed ‘I still can’t believe you get lost everytime and then call me.” Chris only shrugged.

“They’re big… It’s like a labyrinth in there.” He replied.

“Well at least you don’t have a David Bowie walking around with crystal balls.” Chris gave a look of confusion.

“...what?”

“....It’s a movie.”

“...OOooooh… right… Hah! I get it now.” He chuckled.

I giggled “Well come on, let’s try this place out. You ready?” Chris nodded, a smile flashing on his face.

“You bet!”

Chris and I then sat, checking out the menu laid out in front of them. “Hmm...it all looks really good…”

“I haven’t had much Sushi before so I might just get whatever you get.” Chris mumbled.

“Sounds good. And I promise I won’t get anything spicy. Because one, that would suck for you, and two, none of us would get off a toilet.”

“Yeah… That’s true.” Chris sighed, “So um, how has your day been so far?”

I shrugged “Not bad. Had some annoying customers but nothing too bad. Yet someone came in asking for toothpaste? Yet...we’re a fricken bakery?”

“...How… like... For real?”

“Yeah like...they asked for toothpaste, thinking we were a dentist office? And after I said we were a bakery, guess what happened?”

“...They insisted it was a dentistry?” Chris guessed.

“Yeah, and they asked to talk to the dentist in charge?!”

“...Who even goes to a dentist to buy toothpaste? Like, you can just buy it at a drugstore?”

“I don’t know, man. California is full of weirdos.”

“Yeah, S’pose you’re right.” Chris huffed.

“I mean, we’re lucky the guy didn’t have a gun or anything. It can get pretty bad out here.”

“Yeah... Good thing nothing bad happened.”

“Mhm. But, it’s okay. After the whole dentist thing, they left. I think they said we need to fix our sign because it totally didn’t look like it said bakery….?”

“Well, sounds you had a rather eventful day.”

“Hah, I guess. What about you, anything cool happen?”

“Ehh… got a bit of cash… Found a few fliers for potential jobs, gonna try to check a few of them out when I can.’

“Oh cool. Don’t worry, I bet you’ll get job offers like nobody’s bidness after a while.”

“Well, I hope so. It’d be nice to get a regular wage.”

“Definitely, then you wouldn’t be living i-....oh...shit, I don’t mean-”

“It’s fine. I know what you meant. I’m not offended.” Chris assured.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

I laid my chin on the table, looking like a sad puppy “Okay…” Chris reached over, patting her on the head.

“How about we talk about something else.” He suggested, “Oh, Have any new Grump series been put up? I haven’t have much time to check.”

Sunni suddenly perked up, giving off a smile “Yeah, they updated on a few serieses. Oh! And there was a new ad for CrunchyRoll Arin did.”

“Oh boy. I’m definitely gonna have to check that out when I get the chance.” Chris chuckled, remembering how ridiculous the previous ads had been.

“Definitely do it, dude. Arin goes full on CRAZY. It’s beautiful.” I laughed.

“I will… Sooooo… How’s the Dan crush been?” Chris teased.

I could feel my cheeks grow pinker. “Oh man, you don’t even know.”

“Course I don’t. We haven’t seen each other in like… A week I think?”

“Oh true. Um...well, I kinda...put his face in a locket I bought.” I giggled, my face turning red and laying my head on the tabletop as I embarrassingly laughed. 

“...Oh my god dude.” Chris giggled.

“I-I can’t help it, man! H-He’s just so cute and sweet and...ahhhh this is a hopeless crush.”

“Well, anything is possible… Infinite realities. I’m sure in one of them your fantasies of tomorrow’s adventures come true.”

I lifted my head up “....Are you serious.”

“About the infinite realities or did you figure out my clever pun?”

“Both. And somehow, I’m sure unintentionally, you referenced one of my favorite games, Bioshock, with the infinite reality thing.”

“Heheh… Triple score then… But Yeah, I’m sure things will work out… Or at the very least you’ll meet him.” 

I felt somewhere between crying happy tears or crying upset tears, it was hard to tell. But I managed to giggled, and somewhat snorted, going “Yeah...”

 “...Did I say something wrong?” Chris asked in a very concerned tone.

“N-No, I’m good. I just...ah, I get really emotional lately.” I giggled again.

“Oh, mkay.” Chris smiled.

I took a breath, and then looked at the menu again “I literally forgot we were supposed to order something.”

“Well, We still have plenty time. Plus to be fair no one has asked us yet.” Chris noted.

“That’s true! And my mom’s not blowing up my phone either.”

“Right. We got some time, let’s just decide on something and try to relax while we can.”

“Okay’ I smiled ‘....Um...Ooo, okay, there’s a lunch special. Six pieces of sushi of choice. For 10 bucks. How does that sound?”

“Surprising. Most fish where I come from will cost you around 15 bucks… But, it means we spend less so, It’s good.”

I nodded. “Okay. Um, waiter? Hi, can I have two ‘Joint Sets’ for us two, please?” The waiter pulled out a notepad and jotted down the order.

“You guys want any sauces?”

“Umm...Soy. What about you, Chris?”

“...Uh, Soy’s good.”

 ...

Once we got our plates; Chris and I started to eat, making casual small talk while also marveling how good the sushi was.

“If I’d known this stuff was this great, I’d have gone here a looong time ago.” Chris exclaimed.

“Same here? Like, it’s not even that far from my job. I’ll make it somewhat of a habit to come or get take out.”

“Yeah, It was a bit of a walk for me. But knowing the food is this good makes it worth it.”

“Absolutely. Also chilling with you is fun as fuck.”

“...really?” Chris whispered.

“Dude of course! You’re one of my favorite people.”I patted Chris’ shoulder sentimentally. Chris’s face lit up like a firework.

"Thank you! I like hanging out with you too! Wish we could do it more often…”

“Me too. Well, we’ll make it an effort to!”

“Yeah!”

* * *

 

I blinked, keeping my eyes on the road. I briefly looked to her right on the passenger side. Chris was fast asleep, completely tuckered out from his trip to Disneyland. He rarely if ever slept in a car, so that alone showed just how tired he was. Though, I supposed that was a good thing. If he was exhausted then he must have enjoyed himself, right?

I sighed deeply, the clanking of the locket on her neck jumping as she kept driving along the highway. Her mind briefly turned back to the conversation I’d had with him that day in the sushi shop. If I’d learned anything about Chris over the last few years, It was that he had an interesting view of how the world worked. It fascinated her, but also...concerned her? I cared about him like a little brother, yet the way he was...well, best to keep such things private.

In the end, I’d describe him as being clever… though sometimes he could get ahead of himself. Maybe in the end, he won’t be living the life he has; maybe he’ll be in a happier place. Only time could tell, and I said a silent prayer hoping things would change for her friend for the better.

But, For now, an overnight stay at my house would be enough...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to SunniApplePie for writing this with me :D


	10. Ross'd on the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris get's stuck in a car with Ross for a few hours.

Somehow, from the second I woke up, I knew something was going to go wrong today. I didn't know how or what... But something was going to happen, and it was going to be bad. But, I wasn't gonna let that stop me, I was needed at the office space. Feeling or no feeling, I had a job now. And with that comes with the responibility to work... I think.

So, off I walked to work. Same path, same buildings, same hill, and same exhaustion as every other work day. It was a simple walk, but one that filled me with... uncertainty. It wasn't that I hated my job, it was more along the lines of I'm not sure how to feel around these people...

Barry and Vernon were deffinately the nicest out of everyone, but I saw them the least because of their work scheduals.

Ross was... peculiar... He always had a weird look on his face that made me feel as though he was plotting how to kill me. Though I'd reassured myself he was too lazy to probably even think of that.

Dan was somewhat warm when he was around. He kept to himself a bit, much like me. But he did attempt to warm up to me, which I suppose made him better than myself.

Arin and Suzy were somewhat parental. I felt the most comfortable around them I think. I wasn't sure exactly why but they gave off a very welcoming vibe.

...And then there was Kevin... He always seemed to be avoiding me. And the few times we did interact he always had a scowel on his face, like I'd done something wrong. Especially after he locked me out... I wasn't sure about much, but I think Kevin might hate me...

...

I saw the office building come into view. It was still a ways up the hill, but at least I knew i was close.

"Hey, Chris!" A voice called. I looked over and saw Ross. He'd pulled up next to me in his car. "Need a lift?" I stared for a moment.

"Um... Sure." I walked to the car. Every instinct in my body told me to run, but I'd take a ride with Ross if it ment not walking for once. Ross continued driving up the hill, faint music playing from the stereo.

"Do you usually walk?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah," I replied, "It's not the fasted way but I get some exercise from it I suppose." I rubbed the fabric of my shirt between my fingers, trying not to be nervous. Though I couldn't really help that. About halfway to the office, Ross spoke up again.

"Hey I'm hungry you wanna go to Taco Bell?" He asked. I stared back somewhat confused.

"Aren't we going to work though?" I replied.

"Yeah but i mean we got time, we'll be back before 8." ...My shift starts at 7:30.

"I dunno man i mean, what kind of person ruins their bowels eating Taco Bell at 8 in the morining?" I retaliated.

"Me. That's who. Besides, it'll be quick." Ross assured. A sudden thought came to mind.

"Wait... You don't start work until 9... Was... Was this an elaborate set up?" Ross Chuckled at the accusation.

"I suppose it was..." He smirked. I glance out the window, watching as the building left my line of sight. With a sigh of defeat, I pressed my forehead against the cold glass pane. I wasn't exactly sure why Ross was doing this, but I had to give him credit for the lengths he's going to for a prank. I pulled my phone out and began texting Arin.

_**Penguin:** Going to be late today. Ross kidnapped me and is forcing me to partake in Taco-related festivities... Not sure when we'll be back. Sorry._

After a few minutes, I recieved an unexpected reply.

 _ **Arin Hanson:** Put you're phone on speaker_.

I was perplexed for a moment, but then My phone started to ring and I instantaniously understood what he must have ment. I answered the call, making sure the device was loud enough for Ross to hear.

"Am I on Speaker?" Arin questioned.

"Yup." I replied.

"Ross what the fuck are you doing?"

"I thought I'd take our Intern on a little road-trip..." Ross laughed.

"But why?" Arin questioned.

"The best pranks are those which become a minor inconviniance."

"You call this a prank? This sounds like something I'd hear on the news late at night: Australian man charged with kidnapping a minor."

"Relax. We're just gonna hit Taco Bell and we'll be back in an hour." Ross assured.

"Ross we need Chris toda-"

"He'll get there, I promise."

Arin went quiet for a moment.

"Chris, are you okay with this?" I thought for a bit. On the one hand, I knew Ross second to least out of everyone else in the office... On the other hand-

"...I suppose. We're already pretty far from the office now..." I sighed, "We might as well..."

"Ross... You go to Taco Bell, then you take Chris right back, you got it?"

"Yeah, Yeah... Don't get your panties in a knot, bud." Ross said, ending the call and continuing to drive down the street. I huffed. This wasn't how I planned for things to go, but perhaps it wouldn't be so bad... Who knows, maybe I'll have some enjoyment...

 

* * *

 

About 30 minutes into the car ride I realized my mistake in choosing to stay. I had misjudged the distance between the office and the specific Taco Bell that Ross was taking me too, Which was apparently a restaurant on the other side of the town. We passed many locations on the way there, but Ross was determined. He insisted that this Taco Bell was special…

And the entire ride over he made sure to be the most unbearable person I ever had to share a car with.

It felt like absolute madness. He’d change stations midway through the song when he clearly had an Ipod and aux cord with him. Then he’d ask weird philosophical questions that I don’t think I could answer in a hundred years of thinking. Then there was the tapping… It wasn’t consistent at all. Every now and then, he’d poke my shoulder in an uncomfortable way; Then he’d jerk away and pretend he wasn’t doing anything. It was, to say the least, annoying. At times like this, I wish I had a stress ball because I felt like if I was to crush anything right now, it’d be Ross’s hand.

Finally, after what felt like hours, we arrived at the fabled Taco Bell… And it was packed

“Welp… Looks like we’re gonna be here a while.” Ross smirked, texting someone on his phone. It was likely Arin, but I wouldn’t know better.  
I gazed out the car window, trying not to listen to the engines of other cars revving blend into the music blaring from the stereo. I just barely survived the ride over here, and I was having my doubts the drive back would be better. I tried to reassure myself that if I glanced out the window and blocked out everthing else, it would be okay... Though I was uncertain of this.

...there was a poke on my shoulder. I didn't move an inch, hoping Ross would stop if i just ignored him.

"Psst... Chris..." Another poke. Again, I did nothing.

"Chris..." ...Don't do anything... He's just trying to get a rise out of you, Chris...

_...Don't snap..._

_Don't snap..._

_Don't snap_

_Don't-_

"Chris." I grasped Ross's arm just before he could poke me again. I glared at him dead in the eyes.

"What the hell do you want." I hissed. Ross's expression suddenly drooped, filling with fear. I dropped his hand almost as quickly as I'd grabbed it. I pulled my hands away and glanced back out the window.

_...Words... Why can't you ever use you're words... This was avoidable..._

"I'm sorry." I muttered, not turning away from the window. For a bit, there was only silence between us.

"Um... Do, you like... Want anything to eat?" Ross muttered.

"...I'd rather not trouble you more than I have." I sighed.

"I'm the one troubling you though..." I still didn't reply.

"Are you okay?" Ross asked. I took a deep breath.

"You kind of overloaded my senses... If that makes any sense.' I mumbled.

"Overloaded?"

"Like... I'm off my routine, to my brain has to readjust... Then you kept poking at me and... I couldn't really handle it all that well." I explained. Ross still seemed confused for a moment, then something clicked in his head.

"Wait, are you Autistic?"

"Asperger's Syndrom... and Sensory Processing Disorder... If you want to be percise."

"Oh... I'm so sorry, I swear I had no idea..."

"You're not the first, you won't be the last... Don't get too worried over it." I sighed.

"Okay..." Ross sighed, "Um so... do you want something?" I thought for a moment.

"...Maybe a lemonade." I replied.

After we had gotten the food Ross managed to find an empty spot to park in and eat his breakfast. I drank my lemonade in silence, not even the car radio was making a sound. Then, Ross asked something.

"Why didn't you tell me to stop?"

"...I didn't want to be bothersome."

"But like, you could've said something if I was bugging you."

"...I was never good a talking." I sighed. Ross nodded, taking a large bite of his burrito. I tried to think of some way to change the subject.

"Sooo... Do you usually kidnap people and take them on joyrides?" I questioned.

"Erm... No, Not really. I thought it'd be a funny prank. But I guess I pushed it too far, huh?"

"Just a little."

"Is that why you're always wearing headphones in the office?"

"Partially, yeah. Drowns out any excess noise my ears pick up."

"Excess?"

"Computer hums, Air Conditioning, stuff like that."

"Oh... You must have pretty good ears." Ross stated.

"I do generally. My sense of touch is my least sensitive usually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, When I was born I couldn't actually feel anything," I explained, "I went to physical therapy and managed to develop it over time though."

"Like, for real?"

"Yeah... I still don't have feeling in certain places... The spot you kept poking was one of my really sensitive spots so it was more bothering."

We conversed for a bit of time. The conversation shifted around to Cartoons at one point, though I couldn't recall exactly how that happened. Once Ross finished his meal, He started the car back up.

"I think it's about time we got to work." He said. I nodded.

"We've probably been gone long enough..."

"Sorry again, about earlier." He said.

"It's okay," I assured, "Just try not to do it again."

We drove back to the office. Ross played soft music from a playlist he had on his Ipod. There wasn't too much traffic on the way to the office, so we got there almost quicker than we had left it...

I suppose today wasn't too bad afterall... Then again it was still early in the day... I guess would just have to ride it out and wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo!!!! Managed to finish it before I had to leave for Spring Break :D Hoping to write a little bit then as well.
> 
> Also yes I am Autistic, Before you question that.


	11. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan searches for a mystery voice.

If there was one word I could use to describe our new intern, it would be odd. Not that this was a bad thing, if anything I meant this as a compliment. If I had to pinpoint why I found him odd, I'd say it was a mixture of trying to get used to Chris and missing having Jack around.

Somehow my mind couldn't help drawing comparisons between the two... I'd begun to notice that anything Jack did Chris tended to be on the opposite side of. Again this wasn't a bad thing, it was just my mind comparing and contrasting their individual personalities. I couldn't really help finding these differences. 

I sighed, taking a gulp of my coffee. One thing I knew for certain was Chris was easier to observe than to approach. He was often distant, somewhat shy in fact. He seemed the most comfortable around Arin and if I had to guess he was least comfortable around me. To be fair we rarely interacted aside from his first day (I blame my work schedule on that)... Something also told me that after the incident with Ross he probably would be jittery for a while.

As I went to pour myself a second cup of coffee; a soft, melodic voice entered my ears. Someone was singing, though the voice wasn’t one I recognize. I decided to scout around for the mystery singer. As I got closer to the source I could better hear the lyrics of the song.

 

_“All the ways you make my stomach turn_

_And all the long drives_

_With my friends blur-”_

 

The song was somewhat unfamiliar to me. It carried an early-2000’s punk vibe that made me question if Kevin had played it over the sound system at one point.

 

_“-And think of all the places_

_Where you've been lost_

_And then found...out_

_In between my sheets_

_In between the rights and the wrongs-”_

 

My journey led me to our “quiet room”. It was really just an extra storage space, but Vernon thought it made a good place for someone to relax away from the rest of the office. I carefully opened the door, peeking inside. Chris was sitting in the far corner. His head had jerked over.

‘W-Was I being loud?” He murmured. I smiled.

“Not at all, I just wanted to see who was singing. You have a very nice voice.” Even from under the shade of his hat, I could see Chris’s face turn a deep shade of red.

“Th-thank you…” He murmured. I shut the door once again, giving him some privacy. As I left I heard him sing the last few lyrics to the song…

 

_“_ _-Put your hand between_

_An aching head and an aching world_

_We'll make them so jealous_

_We'll make them hate us_

_Aching head and an aching world_

_Think of all the places_

_Where you've been lost and found...out”_

  
They say the songs a person sings can say a lot about who they are... I wonder if he’d mind doing a cameo track sometime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit difficult to write. I thought it'd be best to do something with Dan as I realized I've neglected him a little bit.


	12. Lost-o in the Costco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris helps Suzy run some errands, unfortunately things don’t quite go as planned. (TW: Misgendering, Depiction of a Selective Mute episode.)

The later hours of the office were truly something. By this time everyone was finishing up their day’s work and fairly exhausted. A few people had even already left for the night. Luckily it seemed they'd finished everything, so no time was wasted… I learned rather exactly how the office functioned, and by that i mean I knew what everyone had to do in order for the day to be productive.

Dan and Arin (Or whoever was recording that day) had to get at least 3 game sessions in, and at least one of those had to be part of an ongoing series. Brian and Vernon helped with the recording equipment and made sure everything ran accordingly. Suzy made sure everyone was completely on task and knew of any sort of deviation from the planned schedule. Barry and Kevin had to have at least one episode in rendering by the end of the day, and make sure the daily three episodes uploaded without any major issues, also an extra 10 episodes had to be ready to uploaded in case of any delays. Ross took care of any tweaks that had to be made to the animation intros or kept his own projects on task. Then there was me: keep everything organized and offer extra assistance to whoever needs it that day.

Everyone had their place in the group, and new what they needed to do. Though things were still easily adjustable. For instance: Arin was absent today because of an event he had to attend, So Suzy and Brian had recorded something. Though I supposed when running something like this everyone needed to be prepared for any possible situation.

...I sincerely hope that when that happens to me I don’t panic. The last thing I need to do is freeze up…

I shook away that thought, instead trying to focus on getting the last of these files sorted out. While not the most exciting of my jobs, it was probably the most relaxing, which is why I usually opted to do it at the end of the day….

Usually, I had said to myself, knowing full well i’d only done this one other time before… not gonna let that bother me, nope… not bothered at all by my own silent mind, no sir…

...My own train of thought confuses me sometimes…

My involuntary procrastination was interrupted when I heard a loud groan. My ears recognized it as Suzy’s voice. I glanced over. She appeared to be on the phone with who I assumed was Arin.

“-Well, make sure they get well taken care of okay? I’ll try my best to get this stuff done without you, don’t worry… Okay, bye.” Suzy hung up her phone, letting out a slightly annoyed sigh.

“Something wrong?” I asked.

“Arin was going to help me with some errands but he said one of the cats threw up and he thinks they should see the vet,” She explained, “Tonight’s the only night I can get this stuff done and I really needed his help.”

“Oh well um, I-I could give you a hand… I-If you want.” I offered.

“You don’t have to do that," Suzy said, "Won't your parents get worried if you came home late?”

“Nah, they’re fine with pretty much anything as long as I’m home before 11.” I assured.

“Well… I dunno. You sure they don’t mind?”

“Positive. Besides, my sister should be home anyways so it’s not like the house would be unsupervised.”

“Well, alright.” Suzy said, “It’s probably gonna be dark when we finish so I’ll drop you off at home.”

“S-sounds good.” I smiled. Suzy then left to grab her car keys. I took the moment to shoot a quick text to Sunni.

 **_Penguin:_ ** _Hey, I’m gonna come over later, Suzy needs help with errands and offered me a ride._

I placed my phone into my coat pocket and waited for Suzy to come back. I glanced around the space a bit. I noticed Kevin glaring at me from above his computer screen, then quickly looking back to whatever he had been working on… If he was even working on something, that is. I couldn’t see the screen itself so I wasn’t sure… Then again maybe it was rude to assume. Perhaps he had just looked this way coincidentally…

“Chris you comin’?” I snapped away from my thoughts, walking over to join Suzy.

“Don’t stay in too late Kev!” She called out as we left the office.

 

~~~

 

“Thanks for offering to help, Chris.”

“It’s nothing, really. It keeps me out of the house too… So um, What are we doing first?”

“Well, I was gonna go make a quick grocery run at Costco.”

Costco?  
  
I felt my body go through every stage of grief when I heard that. Of all the chain stores, it had to be Costco. I had a track record for getting lost inside Costco after Costco after Costco. A never ending cycle of going inside with someone, and being separated from them...  
  
I had to ensure this time was different. For Suzy’s sake. I couldn't get distracted and become lost among the crowds.

“Chris you okay?” Suzy asked, jolting me out of my head.

“Huh? Oh yeah! Sorry I tend to space out…” I stuttered… nice job Chris, way to play it cool. I shook off the thought. Focus man, focus.

I made sure to stay close to Suzy as we wandered through the store. There weren’t too many other people in the store, which made it feel like an eerie abandoned warehouse. But then again this was a Costco, they all look like that.

“Okay, we’re gonna need some cat food, soup, I’m also out of eggs...hmm…” Suzy mumbled to herself, thinking over her list. I hastily jotted down the items on my arm with a pen to ensure I wouldn’t forget them. It was a tad difficult to read as the last list i had written didn’t completely was out, but it was good enough.

“Arin might need some more art supplies...you know what, I think that should be all for now. Hopefully, we won't have to be here too long." Suzy said.

“Okay then,” I replied, rolling my sleeve back up so the ink wouldn’t smear too much. I glanced briefly at the aisles of the store, trying to figure out exactly where we were. I’d definitely been to this exact Costco on previous trips, that didn’t help much but it was better than nothing.

“Alright, let’s start over here, and work our way back. Then we can head out faster and get some stuff done today. Woo!” Suzy said enthusiastically. I nodded in agreement, also admiring her excitement; she’s way more determined than I am going through this labyrinth of a store. I noticed some cat food in one of the nearby aisles… Suzy mentioned her cats being sick earlier i think? Back in the office…. Oh wait, wasn’t that on the list? I rolled up my sleeve, identifying a messily written but still readable notation of cat food. Okay perfect… I’ll just tell Suzy we passed it an-

… I looked around… I couldn’t see Suzy...

Great job kiddo, ya blew it.

Every long stretching aisle looked the same, there were no glimpses of Suzy even walking by. I let out a sigh. Well, I found the cat food… I’ll just grab some and try to find her again… hopefully. I mean, I had that list? That should help somewhat. If anything it’d give me an idea of where she might be.

As I look at my arm reading the next thing off the list, my phone suddenly buzzes in my pocket. Pulling it out, I silently hoped it would be Suzy. But it turned out to be Sunni, replying back to my text.

 

 **_Sunni:_ ** _Coolio, I’ll get the bed out for ya if you’re willin._

I quickly shot a reply.

 **_Penguin:_ ** _Alright… Quick question: Which section of the Costco near the house contains Eggs?_

 **_Sunni:_ ** _Well... They are usually they’re in the back near the bakery. Y?_

 **_Penguin:_ ** _Um… So… I may have gotten separated from Suzy and lost inside of a costco…_

She wrote back in caps:

 **_Sunni:_ ** _DUDE REALLY_

I typed back frantically.

 **_Penguin:_ ** _I’m, sorryyy theyr’e so biiiigggg D’:_

 **_Sunni:_ ** _Well, do u have her number?_

 **_Penguin:_ ** _...I um… I don't think i do???? I can’t remember i know I have Arin’s but He’s at home…. I should have planned this through better…_

 

She took a few minutes to write out a response. I gazed over, noticing the eggs i was seeking after. Unfortunately I was already carrying the cat food, which came in a rather large package... I knew my limits. Maybe Suzy had already passed by? And if not I could try to lead her back over. I felt another buzz from my phone and looked down.

_**Sunni:** Okay, u got three opinions off the top of my head. 1, u can call Arin to ask for Suzy’s number then call her. 2, you can keep walking around the store for her till u meet up (this happens with me and my sister a lot), or 3, you stay in one place until she comes around to where u are. _

_**Penguin:** Right… Arin’s probably asleep by now or taking care of whichever cat is sick so i maybe shouldn’t bother him??... I think I’ll walk around a bit more and stay put if i can’t find her myself. _

**_Sunni:_ ** _K bro, stay vigilant, like Batman. Ps, not to be a super fan, but I’ve seen Arin go on twitter at wicked early hours, he’s a serious night owl so you bothering him probably isn’t gonna happen XP_

_**Penguin:** Yeah but he worked hard today and I didn't see him napping at the office… But I’ll keep that in mind. Also which Batman? _

**_Sunni:_ ** _hmm...Adam West._

 **_Penguin:_ ** _Correct answer. You pass._

 **_Sunni:_ ** _Can I get a trophy? Or like...a medal? “Winner of the Correct Batman Award”?_

 **_Penguin:_ ** _I’ll give you the last bits of cheetos from the bag I was eating for lunch if ya want._

 **_Sunni:_ ** _Oh alright. I’ll take it. Stay safe lil bro._

 **_Penguin:_ ** _Will do!_

 

I slipped my phone into my back pocket once more. The last two things on the list were Soup and Art Supplies (Do they even sell that stuff here? … I mean I guess it’s a costco but I have no clue). Soup was probably my best bet. I glanced around, Currently I was at a clothing aisle.

Okay, if I go around those carts, back through that walkway, I should be able to-

“ ‘Scuse me? You lost ma’am?” I looked behind me, seeing what appeared to be a worker. They were looking right at me, and there wasn't anyone next to me.

“...M… Ma’am?” I muttered.

“I assume so? Are you in need of any assistance?” the worker asked. Their tone of voice was in that weird 'pleas kill me I haven't slept in three days’ enthusiasm that only a Disney Parks Cast Member could out-creep.

“I-I um… th-that’s okay… I c-can find m-my way around…” I mumbled, not bothering to correct them.

“Sure, ma’am. If there’s anything you need, I’ll be over here.” They say in a somewhat condescending tone. What was their damage? Oh well, you can’t please everyone you meet I suppose…

I continued to where the soup was, yet once again found no Suzy. I decided to wait out here… I figured she’d have to be nearby at least… Right?

“Ma’am.” my body jolted. I noticed the same worker person walking over… Did they follow me?

“Uh...yes?” I mumbled. They come up to me, first looking around, then their attention is back to me “Ma’am, are you sure you’re not lost or maybe you can’t find someone?” I stayed frozen, and found myself unable to speak back… Maybe if I ignored them enough they’d give up and leave?

“Ma’am I’m only trying to help.” They gave off a very uneasy presence. I wanted to speak but I could only feel my throat start to tighten itself, rendering me mute. I wordlessly cursed myself for not bringing water in with me. I could feel the worker’s stare on me as if it were the sun on a hot day.

They look at me longer, and I notice them scan down my body for a moment. They take a second to calibrate a response. “Sorry, um...you sure you’d rather not stand with me near the entrance, ma’am?” I prepared to nod when I heard a voice call out.

“Oh There you are, Chris!” I glanced up and oh thank heavens it’s Suzy, my brain wasn’t hearing things, oh thank god… I scurried over, not bothering to pay the worker any attention.

Suzy looked a little worried. “Where were you? I think I lost you right as we were in the pet section!” I showed her the cat food in my hand, not really giving a verbal response.

Her eyes grew a bit “Oh...wow, I actually forgot all about it...I’m sorry, Chris.” I shrugged.

The worker looked us over from the distance, and Suzy noticed this and took interest “May I...help you?”

“Um, yes, is that your daughter, Miss?”

Suzy raised her eyebrows and pouted “Um, excuse me, he’s a boy. And no, he’s not mine, but I don’t appreciate accusations over a complete stranger with their friend. Please, mind your own business MADAME. Have a good day.” And with that, she lightly takes the cart and walks off with me right beside her. I didn’t look back once as we made our way over to check-out and eventually out the store. I felt the tension in my body ease a tiny bit knowing I no longer was alone. The walk was mostly quiet aside from the chattering of the cart against the various flooring around the lot.

When we finally made it to the car, Suzy unloaded the things into her trunk then got into the front while I sat passanger side. There was some silence that stayed until she spoke up “You alright?”

I took a deep breath and swallowed a bit of saliva that had pooled in my mouth. “Y… Yeah…”

She frowned a bit “That wasn’t very nice of her to say that. Before you say anything...I kind of already know. But, if it’s not comfortable to talk about, I won’t talk about it.” I glanced at my hands a moment.

“H...How’d you find out?... A-am I that obvious?” I asked quietly.

“Well no, but so I did find a bloody pad in the wastebasket in the bathroom and kinda... put the pieces together?” She added.

I felt a wave of blush spread over my face.

How could I be so fucking careless?

“You um… Won’t tell the others? R-Right?” I mumbled.

“No. And I don’t plan to, unless you’d want me to or you say it to them yourself. Okay?” Suzy looked over to me with a sympathetic smile.

“O-Okay….Thank you.” I breathed, rubbing the hem of my sleeve.

Suzy nodded “You're welcome.” She then began to drive, and turned the radio on to a somewhat laid-back jazz channel. I kept my focus on regulating my breathing.

“Um, so…Where do you live? Is it far from here or?” Suzy asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Oh um.. No, it’s not too far actually.” I said. I gave a few directions when she needed to turn or go down a certain road. The streets were mostly empty at this time, which made the drive somewhat quick.

“Your parents won’t mind me dropping you off in front of the house, right? Or wait, you said your sister was there?” She questioned.

“Yeah um… My parents work at night so usually it’s just the two of us around this time.” I explained. She nodded “Okay cool, wouldn’t want some kind of situation that looked weird and needed to be explained going on” she let out a small laugh. I gave a small chuckle.

“Yeah, definitely wouldn’t want that…”

“Hey listen...thank you for helping me today. I’m sorry about what happened in Costco, but you were a big help to me. I appreciate it.” Suzy smiled.

“Oh um, Y-You’re Welcome. Sorry i kinda got lost back there but… It’s a Costco…” I said a bit awkwardly.

“Do you...always get lost in Costco?”

“...M...maybe… Um… Let’s just say it was enough times to warrant a tumblr tag.”

She laughed and lightly patted my shoulder “Oh man, I’ll have to find this tag and see what other things happened.”

Eventually we pulled up to the driveway, which I thankfully recognized in the dark.

Sunni very faintly peeked from her bedroom window, and in no less than ten seconds, made it to the front door. Damn, she’s fast. I said my goodbyes to Suzy and walked up to the porch. And once Suzy had pulled out and drove off, Sunni lightly grabbed my shoulders “Okay...was I hallucinating...or was that the actual Suzy?”

“...It was actually Suzy… I told you she offered me a ride.” I said.

“I know, but I seriously thought it was just around Costco, I DIDN’T KNOW SHE’D DROP YOU OFF AT MY PLACE.” Sunni grinned wide, like she won the lottery. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“Well, now you can say Suzy Berhow has driven through your driveway I suppose.”

“Dude, I kid. I’m not THAT excited. Pffff …” Sunni scoffed nonchalantly, and leaned against her wall. I let out a yawn.

“Yeah… Okay… I believe you…Where is the bed again?”

“Ah, I got it made near my bed tonight. The folks don’t want it on the living room floor this time. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, the living room is kinda creepy…”

“There could be a ghost. Honestly that’d be badass, but probably not good for those wanting to sleep there.”

“No they really aren’t. Keep me up all night with their phasing in and out of shadows.” I said, walking further into the house.

“Don’t forget the ectoplasm.”

“It's not so bad, it's actually quite tastey… found some on a rice krispy bar I left out once…”

“...I don’t even wanna know. Come on, let’s get some shut eye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penguin: Sorry this took so long I’d been in a bit of a block and also complications with my laptop being fried. Also @SunniApplePie is now an official co-author for this work!!! 
> 
> Sunni: ISSA ME, MA-i mean-SUNNI! I'M A COAUTHOR NOW! Hope you enjoy my input in Chris' fic, and I look forward to writing more with my bro!! :D


	13. Author Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to update anyone who isn't following my tumblr.

Hey guys!

So Lately I've been having trouble writing for this fic as it's currently structured... So I've decided to revamp it under a different name and changing the story slightly to a further point in the planned timeline I have.

I will no longer be updating for A Good Different, but I will keep it up as the events that happened here are still considered canonical. The updated story will be titled "Digital Silk" and the prologue+first chapter will be uploaded sometime this week.

Thanks to those of you who gave feedback and kept with this story despite the uneven update schedule... I hope this fixed version will be just as entertaining as this was, maybe even more so.

-Penguin

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless Self insert is Shameless.


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